On the Cricket Pitch
by Emmeebee
Summary: When Lily goes to visit her father at the park, she runs into one of the boys he coaches. Muggle!AU. Australian!AU.


A/N: Wow, it feels weird to have finished this. I came up with the idea the day after my grandfather died as an ode to his love of cricket, and it has finally come together.

Build A Zoo prompt: Lily Evans

* * *

The afternoon sun shone down on the cricket pitch like a spotlight, illuminating the freshly mown grass. Ignoring the smell of manure that had lingered in the park for as long as she could remember, Lily made her way over to where her father was standing with the circle of teenage boys whose cricket team he'd volunteered to coach that season.

A few of the boys noticed her approach, but her father was facing away from her. Feeling mischievous, she raised a finger to her lips to signal to the players not to let him know she was there.

She waited as he regaled the boys with plans and strategies, gesturing emphatically. When he dipped into a momentary lull, she stepped forward. 'So this is where you spend all your time nowadays.'

He spun around. 'What are you doing here, sweetheart?'

'You missed a signature,' she explained, holding up the manila folder with the paperwork for her parents' loan application inside. 'Mum asked me to bring it over. She wants to submit it before the close of business.'

He sighed. 'There are way too many dotted lines on this sort of thing, but it is what it is. Boys, you can all go for a jog. Keep in line; don't let anyone fall behind or pull ahead, or you'll all get push-ups.'

With only a minimal amount of grumbling, the team got into formation and started to jog across the field.

Her father smiled fondly. 'They're good kids, but they're a handful sometimes.'

'I'll bet.' Two of them kept dropping back or pulling ahead so the others had to constantly adjust their speed. 'What's the point of this drill?'

'To teach them to function as a unit. If someone makes a mistake in a match, I expect them to help them, not blame them.' He took the folder and pen from her and flicked through to the page her mother had marked.

Lily was sceptical, but she shrugged it off. Despite her father's best efforts, she'd always been more interested in tennis than cricket. 'What about the two who keep messing around with anyone?'

'James and Sirius?' he asked without even looking, using his knee to sign the page. When he'd handed them back, he glanced over at the group. 'Of course it's them. You wouldn't know it from how they act sometimes, but they're some of the best players in the division — not just on the pitch, but at motivating their teammates and keeping up morale.'

'Right.' One of the boys glanced back at them before speeding up into a sprint, causing everyone else to bow their heads and run faster to keep up. Even his friend seemed to be taken by surprise. 'Does he _want _you to notice?'

'I don't know. Not usually.'

The boys were nearly back at the start of the circuit, which Lily took as her cue to leave. Shaking her head, she took the folder and pen back. 'I should get home. I've got to review my notes on _Hamlet._'

'Ah. Well, it's almost over.'

'Yet it still feels so far away.' Her HSC exams started the next week. It felt like time was both moving too quickly for her to keep up and too slowly for her to stay sane. 'See you at home.'

As she neared the car, she heard footsteps running up behind her. Turning, she found herself face-to-face with the boy who had looked back earlier.

'What are you doing?' she asked, confused.

He held up an empty drink bottle. 'The bubbler's over here.'

'Oh. You know, you shouldn't mess with your teammates like that.'

'What do you mean?' His face was the picture of innocence. 'It's good to practice different types of running.'

'Right,' she said sceptically.

His expression morphed into a broad smile. 'So you were watching me run.'

'Your team. I was watching your _team _run.'

'Same thing.'

It was hard not to smile back at his casual confidence. He was trouble in more ways than one, and she still didn't know his name. 'No, it's not.'

'Okay, then. You should come and watch my _team _play on Saturday.'

'Maybe.' Glancing down, she pulled her car keys out of her pocket. 'I have exams to study for, so I'll see how I go.'

'I heard taking regular breaks helps you study better. What better break than watching a match in the warm sun?'

She raised her eyebrows. 'You "heard"?'

He smirked, and Lily had the impression he'd been hoping she would ask. 'I don't study myself.'

'Then why should I take your advice?'

'Maybe because I'm at the top of my cohort.'

'I might try to make it, then,' she said. 'I guess it would be good to support my dad. Of course, I'll need to know who to thank — or blame — for the tip.'

His smirk softened into a genuine smile. 'I'm James.'

'Lily.' Unlocking her car, she took a step backwards. 'You should get back to training, but I'll see _your team _on Saturday.'

'Great. I can't wait.'

Oddly enough, neither could she.

It was going to be fun to get to know him better.


End file.
